As we care for children and babies with bronchiolitis and other respiratory illnesses, MU Health Care offers a Children’s Respiratory Outpatient Clinic to meet patients’ needs with the most appropriate level of care.
Triaging acuity is extremely important. Inpatient beds will be reserved for children who require a higher level of care. Patients who are stable and low risk should be monitored from home.
Clinic Details
Our Children’s Respiratory Outpatient Clinics are open 24/7 to provide supportive care with locations in Columbia and Jefferson City. The clinics are not intended to be an alternative to the Emergency Department; it is for low-acuity patients.
The clinics are staffed by a respiratory therapist who will evaluate and scale the severity of symptoms. If the severity is high, the patient will be referred to the Emergency Department to be seen by a physician. If the patient does not need evaluation in the Emergency Department, a respiratory therapist can provide suction and children’s respiratory treatments.
How to refer:
Providers not employed by MU Health Care should use the order form available below and fax the orders to the appropriate location:
- Columbia – 573-882-7862
- Jefferson City – 573-632-5978
Children’s Respiratory Outpatient Clinic Physician Order Form
Providers employed by MU Health Care can submit the order “Respiratory (ROC) Eval and Treat” through PowerChart.
Patients can be seen as often as is needed for seven days following the placement of the order.
Please print and date the document below for patient families. It outlines where to go and what to expect for the Children’s Respiratory Outpatient Clinic for both of our locations. Note: This is a two-page document
Patients eligible for the Children’s Respiratory Outpatient Clinic:
- Infants 0-36 months of age with a clinical diagnosis of RSV, viral bronchiolitis, viral pneumonia or viral lower children’s respiratory tract infection (LRTI)
Patients not eligible for the Children’s Respiratory Outpatient Clinic:
- Children > 36 months of age
- Children with the following chronic conditions:
- Chronic lung diseases (including asthma)
- Cystic fibrosis
- Congenital heart disease
- Neuromuscular disease
- Abnormal airway anatomy
Bronchiolitis Facts
- Transmission: Bronchiolitis, caused by viruses like RSV, spreads through droplets expelled when an infected person coughs or sneezes. It can also spread by touching contaminated surfaces or through direct contact with an infected person.
- Contagious period: Infected individuals are typically contagious for 3 to 8 days. However, those with weakened or underdeveloped immune systems can spread the virus for up to 4 weeks, even if asymptomatic.
- Symptoms: Clinical symptoms of bronchiolitis resemble other viral respiratory infections in children. Common symptoms include fever, cough, wheezing, and runny nose.
- Severe disease: Bronchiolitis is the highest risk for infants under three months old.
- High-risk groups:
- Premature infants
- Infants three months and younger
- People with suppressed immune systems or underlying conditions